2018 NBA Draft Talk

[ejftw]

With all this talk on who we can get with our FRPs, I'm wondering what undrafted guys could end up being good summer league invites. Right now, guys like Thomas Welsh, Allonzo Trier, Shake Milton, Rawle Alkins, Kostja Mushidi, Ethan Happ, Malik Newman & De'Anthony Melton are mocked to be going in the late 50s or not at all according to various places.

Doubt we see a few of those, namely Newman, Shake & Happ go undrafted though.

[esqtvd]

FTR: The Pistons' pick is Top 4-protected. It's pretty much locked in at #12, and the chance of losing it is 2.5%. The chance of landing in the top 3 with our own pick at lucky #13 is 2.2%.

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HT: http://www.tankathon.com/pick_odds

[TucsonClip]

Id be willing to bet that after the combine and workouts, we see Hutchison climb to the middle of round 1. I am all for a guy like Shai as well. I would gladly take him at 12 and Hutchison at 13.

I want guys with length, size, who can play some defense, can fill multiple positions/switch, have some ball skills, plus potential as shooters.

[esqtvd]

Id be willing to bet that after the combine and workouts, we see Hutchison climb to the middle of round 1. I am all for a guy like Shai as well. I would gladly take him at 12 and Hutchison at 13.

I want guys with length, size, who can play some defense, can fill multiple positions/switch, have some ball skills, plus potential as shooters.

We have 3 undersized guards signed, Pat Bev, Lou, and Jawun. If Avery sticks, that's 4. We have no credible SFs except Tobias [although we're stuck with the useless WeJo]. Switching is 21st century NBA defense. We just can't take any more undersized guys.

Shai, a 6''6" PG, would solve a lot of matchup problems.

[Ranma]

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[Quake Griffin]

Anybody know how long Chandler Hutchison's arms are?
Looking at him play they seem really long but I dunno if my eyes deceiveth me.

Another thing...I love his shooting stroke. If you saw the video I posted a few pages back, he was working with the coach that trains Damian Lillard to refine his ball handling, scoring, and to get NBA ready for his senior year. It looks like he changed his release point on his jumper.

He shot 36% from the 3 this year on 4 attempts per game. Shot 72% from the FT line. These numbers are significant steps up from his first two seasons at Boise. There's reason to believe he will continue to improve IMO as he turns professional.

[TucsonClip]

Anybody know how long Chandler Hutchison's arms are?
Looking at him play they seem really long but I dunno if my eyes deceiveth me.

Another thing...I love his shooting stroke. If you saw the video I posted a few pages back, he was working with the coach that trains Damian Lillard to refine his ball handling, scoring, and to get NBA ready for his senior year. It looks like he changed his release point on his jumper.

He shot 36% from the 3 this year on 4 attempts per game. Shot 72% from the FT line. These numbers are significant steps up from his first two seasons at Boise. There's reason to believe he will continue to improve IMO as he turns professional.

Everything I have found has him listed at 6'7" with a 7'0" wingspan. Hes also young for his class, as he will turn 22 later this month.

[ejftw]

You guys got me on the Hutchinson bandwagon as well. Wouldn't mind trading down from 13 to about 20 and dumping WeJo and adding in a SRP or two. Would be enough to snag Hutchinson, save some money and get another pick to, hopefully, snatch someone like

[QRich3]

Wes' expiring could be an asset later next season, to absorb some long term salary in exchange for another future asset.

But I'd love to do something like trading both our picks to the Bulls for 7th and 21st, if they know Chandler's still gonna be available with that 2nd pick. Which is doubtful tbh, I'm with Tucson in that he'll rise as the draft gets closer.

[BoogieTime]

I've mentioned before that I think Mikal Bridges will be just out of our reach with either of the 12th and 13th overall draft picks the Clippers currently possess, but I'd like to pose the possibility of trading up for him while using the latter selection to trade down a little in order to boost the former selection up a bit in order to nab Mikal.

I've said that he could go anywhere from 7th to 10th overall, but given the tiers of talent separation, our best bet could be to swap picks with the Knicks' 9th overall selection. Assuming that the Knicks won't go for a swap of picks in exchange for the "privilege" of having Doc Rivers be their coach next season on the condition of them also handing over a future first-round pick, we might have to acquire a second-round pick in this draft in order to exchange 12th overall for 9th overall.

Without a second-rounder in the upcoming draft and the uncertainty and unlikelihood of retaining our future second-round selections over the next few years, we could trade 13th overall to the Wizards for 17th overall and 47th overall in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft in order to package the 12th and 47th picks for the 9th.

This would give us a better chance and decent likelihood of drafting Mikal Bridges, who seems to be the consensus favorite among this board, with the 9th overall selection. And it would allow for selecting Anfernee Simons (or whomever else) at 17th overall. It's just a matter of whether the Knicks would have their heart set on particular player(s) they hope to fall down to them at that spot.

Simons may be currently projected to be a first-round pick in the 20's or so, but as I've said before, I think he could shoot up the draft board after workouts, however, his withdrawal from 2 highly-scouted pre-draft camps combines raises some flags. Despite such concerns, I'm still high on this kid as I may have even underestimated his athleticism.

I'm actually concerned about moving too far down the draft board as I think the Hawks might swoop in to take him at 18th overall given that Travis Schlenk is their GM and contributed significantly to the Warrirors' draft success. Schlenk seems to share a lot of the same draft philosophy that I personally subscribe to. Even before hiring Schlenk, the Hawks sniped us in 2016 when they selected both Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry, who were players the Clippers were rumored to be interested in at the time and both of whom were advocated for by quite a few of us to varying degrees.

In any case, here is a recent mock draft--which despite having the Clippers' draft order incorrect when we have basically been locked into the 12th and 13th selection slots for the past few days--that provides a decent assessment of where players will be drafted as of now.

However, I do take issue with Schultz projecting Simons to the Warriors at 28th overall only because I think that is low for a kid with his potential. Plus, nobody should be drafting Simons with the intent of playing him in the NBA next season. The Warriors previously drafted 2 players I've wanted for the Clippers in recent proceedings--Jordan Bell and Patrick McCaw--so it wouldn't surprise me that they'd also be interested in another player I happen to like a lot at the moment, especially given their previous ties to Schlenk.

The good news is that we now have Jerry West as a consultant who also happens to have had a big hand in the Warriors' successful turnaround when he and Schlenk were in Golden State together. It's no coincidence that under West's watch, the Clippers have successfully drafted 2 rookies in Sindarius Thornwell and Jawun Evans who've contributed more than all of Doc's picks combined. On top of that, we successfully unearthed G-League talent in Jamil Wilson, Ty Wallace, and C.J. Williams who've also contributed greatly in keeping the team afloat during this season riddled with injuries and the departure of star players.

One last note, trading what turned out to be the last pick in the first round of the 2018 draft for the ability to sign Danilo Gallinari proved to still be a good move in spite of Gallo's continued struggles with injuries. While it's possible that a player drafted at that slot or later could turn out to be better than Gallo moving forward, that particular pick is basically an overpriced second-round selection, which can typically be bought for cash.

Jordan Schultz, Yahoo Sports (4/6/18)

10. Philadelphia 76ers: SG/SF Mikal Bridges, Jr., Villanova

The 6-7 Bridges is everything the 76ers covet: a versatile “3-and-D” wing with the potential not merely to be a third or fourth option, but perhaps a go-to guy at some point in his career. One GM has raved to me about him since the beginning of the season. Tough and hard-nosed, Bridges — with his 7-2 wingspan — is an effective cutter who can also play on the ball and extend a defense with his 43.5 percent 3-point shooting. The third-team All-American morphed from a reserve on Jay Wright’s national title team two years ago into one of the most coveted players in the whole draft.

12. Los Angeles Clippers: F Miles Bridges, Soph., Michigan State

After a hype-filled freshman season, Bridges — almost quietly — had a super-productive sophomore season, posting 17.1 points and seven rebounds per game while hitting 36 percent of his threes. The 6-6 wing is a sensational athlete who will need to show he can guard both the paint and the perimeter — both of which the Clippers need.

13. Denver Nuggets: PF/C Robert Williams, Soph., Texas A&M

Denver needs an active big man who can control the paint and allow the versatile Nikola Jokic to play more pick-and-pop and not always bang in the paint. Williams, at 6-10, 241 pounds, comes off a terrific sophomore season in which he averaged 10.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. He is just scratching the surface of his enormous potential. He has a near 7-6 wingspan, excellent hands and — maybe most importantly for the Nuggets — the ability to run the floor and switch ball screens. Remember, Denver ranks just 23rd in points allowed this season. Williams will bolster that number from Day 1.

14. Los Angeles Clippers: G Khyri Thomas, Jr., Creighton

Thomas, who will turn 22 by the draft, has a lot of Gary Harris to his game. At 6-3, he isn’t especially big, but because of his sensational length (6-10 wingspan) and high-level athleticism, Thomas plays bigger. More importantly, he also plays with great balance and pace, able to come off screens and shoot, but he can also get into the teeth of the defense and make a play. Better yet, he plays with a control and pace that you rarely find in young combo guys. Thomas is a versatile offensive weapon who can guard both NBA backcourt spots. He is precisely what the Clippers need and represents great value at the tail end of the lottery.

15. Phoenix Suns: SG Zhaire Smith, Fr., Texas Tech

Smith comes off a stellar freshman year in which he showcased a pro-style game with versatility at both ends of the floor. At 6-5, 195 pounds, he is a prototypical NBA shooting guard. Still a bit streaky, he tends to disappear at times and he’s not that creative with the ball just yet. But he remains a big-time talent and sensational athlete who shoots 45 percent from 3-point range. “Smith is a future pro,” a Big 12 coach told Yahoo Sports. “He has a really high IQ and feel for the game. He’s an NBA athlete. Just look at how much his skills have improved.”

28. Golden State Warriors: G Anfernee Simons, IMG Academy

Simons, who already graduated from his Orlando, Florida, high school and spent a post-grad year at IMG Academy, would benefit from a year in college to develop his 18-year-old body. His raw tools, though, are why the Warriors should nab him in the first round. A true combo man with multiple ways to beat you, Simons stands about 6-4 with a 6-7 wingspan. He possesses a refined shooting stroke, capable of pulling up from virtually anywhere. Remember, Shaun Livingston is 32 years old and Patrick McCaw becomes a free agent this summer. Simons can become an ideal third guard for coach Steve Kerr, especially given his flexibility as an offensive player, though there will certainly be a steep learning curve.

NBA Mock Draft 1.0: NCAA Tourney Stars Sprinkled Throughout

Second rounder doesn’t get you from 12 to 9

[Ranma]

Second rounder doesn’t get you from 12 to 9

I agree. I mulled over my proposal further afterwards and had the same thoughts, especially since the Wizards' second-round pick is in the middle of that round and the Knicks already have a second-rounder higher up on the draft board. I was going to post about it later but now is as good a time as any.

While my particular proposal is unrealistic, the strategy of trading down from 13th overall to boost up from 12th overall is still sound. We just have to acquire something of value and/or package another asset in order to entice another team to drop down a few selection slots. However, as I mentioned before, this strategy is complicated by the tiers of talent separation around that range.

Something to consider, especially given the current impasse to sign him, is would it be worth it to package Ty Wallace along with the 12th overall pick and possibly whatever we can get from trading down from the 13th overall slot in order to acquire the 9th overall pick or so?

[Ranma]

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[TucsonClip]

Have yet to figure out why the guys at the Ringer are in love with Rawle Alkins. They keep calling him a good defender, but he absolutely is not... At all.

[Quake Griffin]

No Hutchison in the 1st round of that Ringer 1st Round Draft Board.

[TucsonClip]

No Hutchison in the 1st round of that Ringer 1st Round Draft Board.

They sure do have a lot of defensive 2-guards... I like some of those guys, but no thanks. Size, length, athleticism, multi-position functionality, IQ, ect.

I think guys like Smith, Walker, Thomas, Frazier, Melton, Okogie, ect. would be interesting, but they dont really have a home here as they are the same size, albeit some with longer wingspans than these guys whom are under contract:

Beverley
Williams
Thornwell
Rivers
Evans

Not to mention these to make a decision on (us/them):

Milos
Bradley
Wallace

Now, you want to add Shai or Sexton at point, thats a different story. But no more freaking two guards playing PG and SF.

[Forte IV]

I'm also on the Hutchinson train. Seems like a hard working two-way player.

[esqtvd]

No Hutchison in the 1st round of that Ringer 1st Round Draft Board.

They sure do have a lot of defensive 2-guards... I like some of those guys, but no thanks. Size, length, athleticism, multi-position functionality, IQ, ect.

I think guys like Smith, Walker, Thomas, Frazier, Melton, Okogie, ect. would be interesting, but they dont really have a home here as they are the same size, albeit some with longer wingspans than these guys whom are under contract:

Beverley
Williams
Thornwell
Rivers
Evans

Not to mention these to make a decision on (us/them):

Milos
Bradley
Wallace

Now, you want to add Shai or Sexton at point, thats a different story. But no more freaking two guards playing PG and SF.

somebody here gets it
there's a reason these guys were so available

[Ranma]

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[nickhx2]

not a bad place to be with 12 and 13

[ejftw]

Have yet to figure out why the guys at the Ringer are in love with Rawle Alkins. They keep calling him a good defender, but he absolutely is not... At all.

Agreed, he wasn't bad, but good? Far from it.